Missing Herkimer WWII Pilot Finally Returns Home to Be Laid to Rest

After over 70 years, a Herkimer WWII pilot can finally be laid to rest. The remains of Army Air Force 2nd Lt. Edward F. Barker, who went missing in 1944, have been found.

The Department of Defense POW/MIA Agency says on Sept. 30, 1944, Barker was the pilot of an P-47D Thunderbolt that failed to return from a training mission in Papua, New Guinea. The aircraft was last seen flying near Finschhafen, and all search efforts failed to locate Barker and the aircraft. Barker was reported missing when he failed to return after the mission.

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In 1962, a U.S. military team discovered the wreckage in the mountains of the Huan Peninsula in Morobe Province. It wasn't until 2012, Barker's remains, military gear and personal effects were found.

Barker will be laid to rest, full military honors at Calvary Cemetery in Herkimer Saturday, August 1st.